Welcome to another edition of MedChunk’s Health Bulletin where we strive to make health topics easy to understand. In today’s edition, we will look at how coffee affects the liver.
You like coffee, we like coffee. Coffee is probably the second most popular beverage after water. It seems to have that distinct aroma and taste that favors the tastebuds of most people. Your liver is your body’s largest solid organ and the liver loves coffee too. The liver location is mostly in the right upper portion of the abdomen, just below the diaphragm.
On average, the liver weighs around 3 pounds in adulthood and is roughly the size of a football. This organ is vital to the body’s metabolic functions and immune system. Without a functioning liver, a person cannot survive.
Coffee = Healthy Liver
Coffee reduces fatty liver disease and lower rates of hospitalization and mortality in cirrhosis. Many studies have shown that coffee consumption is linked to lower liver enzyme levels. Much of the time, high levels of liver enzymes aren’t a cause for concern, but they can be a sign of inflammation or damage in the liver.
Why is the liver so important?
- The liver breaks down substances from food like fats and proteins
- It extracts energy, vitamins, and minerals
- The liver removes toxins from the bloodstream
Coffee is especially helpful when it comes to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease occurs when extra fat builds up in liver cells. It affects 1 in 4 people in the U.S., mostly those who carry excess weight or have diabetes and high cholesterol. Over time, it can cause scarring of the liver. That scarring can lead to liver failure.
Researchers have found that coffee drinkers may be less likely to have:
- Cancer in the lining of the uterus called the endometrium
- Fibrosis. It’s a reaction to conditions like hepatitis or alcohol use disorder.
- Cirrhosis, a late stage of fibrosis. As this disease gets worse, your liver has a harder time doing its job.
- NAFLD….. develops when the liver cells store too much fat. This also keeps your liver from working as it should.
- Liver cancer
Fighting Disease
If you already have a problem with your liver, coffee may help with that. Research shows that moderate amounts, typically between 1 and 3 cups a day, may slow down the following conditions:
- Liver damage
- Liver inflammation
- Fibrosis
- Cirrhosis
- Hepatitis B and C
- NAFLD
Caffeine and Liver :
Antioxidants help your body wage war on free radicals that can cause oxidative stress. Coffee is actually one of the best ways to get antioxidants from your diet, packing 200 to 550 milligrams per cup. That may help fight liver cancer, alcohol-related cirrhosis, non-alcohol-related fatty liver disease, and hepatitis C.
Two chemicals in coffee
Doctors aren’t sure how powerful the effect is, but some think moderate amounts of unsweetened coffee could work alongside the main treatments for the most common kind of liver diseases such as alcoholic fatty liver disease and NAFLD.
Besides, acids in coffee may work against the virus that causes hepatitis B. One study found that decaf coffee could have the same benefit.
I hope that after reading this article you will start drinking at least 2-3 cups of coffee daily. I also hope you have got a lot of information about the liver from this article. I write articles on health every day. Please share this article with your friends.